More than half of garbage trucks out of service - Gordon eyes customer service

Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Audley Gordon, has said that of the total agency fleet numbering about 100 garbage trucks, more than half are non-operational primarily because of late vehicle servicing.

"In times past, we would have had situations where the trucks were not pulled when due to be serviced because of the volume of garbage to be collected. We will ensure, in this new dispensation, that the trucks are pulled when due and receive the requisite service to maintain longevity and efficient usage," Gordon told The Gleaner at the official handover ceremony of six new Renault garbage compactors to three regional offices of the NSWMA yesterday.

In adding that the youngest truck of the operational fleet was at least 10 years, Gordon said that the dealers, Groupe Renault, had a local agent who would facilitate the servicing of the new trucks while they bring their own engineers up to par with the new technology.

Gordon also stated that the NSWMA had begun training side men and drivers to make them more like 'customer service agents'.

He said: "When they go and interface with the public, they must carry a particular mannerism and deportment. We want to ensure they understand the important role they play to the organisation. They are the first point of contact with the public and the agency, and so we want them to understand that they are providing a service, and when you're providing a service, you want to provide it at a high quality."